


I'm not in the swing of things (yet)

by angeen



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Coming of Age, M/M, Slice of Life, teenagers trying to figure things out but also being teenagers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-07-17 20:23:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16103129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angeen/pseuds/angeen
Summary: Somewhere inbetween Seventh Year starting and his Hogwarts routine, Jihoon meets Minghao, who changes nothing, and everything too.





	I'm not in the swing of things (yet)

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there !
> 
> I guess a Slice-of-life Hogwarts!au isn't really the first thing that would come to anyone's mind for a Lorde songs challenge, but here I am. The song I was assigned, "Still Sane", screams coming-of-age to me (and also Jihoon), so I tried conveying that in the best way I could. I love my little teenagers being teenagers and being lost and confused about their future because hey, aren't we all anyways ?  
> I am sorry if this first part feels a bit rushed and boring, I had to finish it before leaving to travel for a while and it was a bit of a challenge. Thank you to lordeventeen mods for allowing me to bother them with my travelling schedule, and thank you to them for organising this challenge !  
> The second (and final) part will be up around the beginning of November, when I get back and will be able to finish this.  
> Enjoy reading ! Feedbacks are always appreciated :)

Seventh year began last week and it’s already coming to bite at Jihoon’s ass. Jeonghan would probably argue that it’s because Jihoon had the amazing idea to chose every single subject that he could fit in his timetable back at the beginning of their Sixth year, and Jihoon, all bravado and hard-working aside, is starting to agree with him. Jeonghan is probably laughing at him while sleeping on one of the couches in the Slytherin common room right now, basking in the knowledge that he already has, as he is retaking his Seventh year a second time.

Jihoon closes his eyes, rubbing them with his fingers. When he opens them again, the lines of the book he’s reading are still blurry. He groans softly then gets up from the desk he’s been hunched over. He gathers his stuff and makes his way between the bookshelves to the check-in desk, a wooden table surmounted by a silvery cloud of dust.

Swiftly, he thrusts his wand through the cloud, then presents the book he was reading as well. The cloud turns green for a few seconds, and the desk coughs up an old piece of parchment. Jihoon catches the receipt then heads towards the exit, waving to M.Pince as he leaves the library.

The bursts of wind in the corridors help clear his mind after the comfy but stifling heat of the library. The weather is still sunny, even if a tad windy; it’s an ideal day to go study outside, Jihoon decides. He needs the fresh air before it gets too cold to leave the castle without wearing five layers of clothes. 

He still tightens his Ravenclaw scarf around his neck when he steps out, though. He waves at Seungkwan who is running across the courtyard, most probably late for class. Seungkwan still takes time to grin at him before hurrying in a gold and red blur. Jihoon chuckles, then starts walking towards the lake, already thinking about what he is going to study once he gets there – Old Merlin, he wishes he was back in sweet and naive fifth year just like Seungkwan.

 

The surface of the lake is smooth, glimmering with the last sparkles of summer when Jihoon plops himself down on the grass. He is sitting under a weeping willow and its long branches are dipping in the water. He takes out his Astronomy textbook and buries himself in it again, the gentle rush of the wind in his hair blowing his tiredness away. 

The lake rumbles from time to time, tiny waves of water coming to lap at Jihoon’s robes. A couple of creatures come to peek at him from behind the branches of his hiding place from time to time, but he doesn’t take notice of them.

“Hum, hey, excuse-me ?”

Jihoon spins his head towards the voice, a bit stunned. He doesn’t know how much time passed since he got there, he was so engrossed in his reading that he hadn’t even realised someone had penetrated his weeping willow dome.

The newcomer is a Slytherin student, judging by his tie. He looks old enough to be a Seventh Year – but Jihoon is so bad at judging people’s ages, he wouldn’t bet on it. 

The guy is oddly dressed: he is not wearing a school jumper but a black denim jacket covered in colourful sewn-in patches. Red-tinted, round sunglasses are perched at the far end of his nose. His satchel, too, is covered in Muggle pins and patches. In his hands he’s carrying an old model of camera. 

He smiles softly at Jihoon and points at the patch of earth next to him.

“Can I sit ?” He asks.

His voice is sweet and surprisingly high. 

“Huh, yeah, go ahead.” 

The guy folds his long legs, arms, body to come and sit cross-legged right next to Jihoon. He smiles at him again then averts his eyes, fiddling with his tie. Jihoon eyes him curiously.

“I, hum. My name is Minghao. I took a picture of you.” The guy starts, glancing at Jihoon to gauge his reaction. “I’ll delete it right away if you want me to. I thought about asking you first but that would have disturbed you and the overall energy of the picture so I just …” 

He looks at Jihoon again and finishes, a bit more bashful: “I just took it and thought I’d ask after if I can keep it. If you allow me to.”

Jihoon stares at him for a few seconds. Seven years he’s been in this school, and that for sure is a first.

Jihoon purses his lips, places a bookmark on the page and closes the book in his lap.

“I have to say, I’m not very fond of my picture being taken without my permission.” He states, brows furrowing. 

Minghao opens his mouth, sheepish, but Jihoon continues.

“Can I see it ?”

Minghao blinks, surprised, then lets out a bubble of laughter.

“The picture ? Yeah, sure !” He answers, taking out his wand and a smartphone from his jacket pockets.

Jihoon peers at him, intrigued, as Minghao taps his camera gently with his wand, then taps twice on his phone. The phone lights up with what looks like the newly-added camera pictures.

“Oh.” Jihoon blurts out. “I didn’t know you could do that with a phone.”

“Really ?” Minghao answers, busy scrolling through his gallery. “None of your friends do that ?”

Jihoon shrugs.

“No. Or they never told me. I barely use my phone, especially at school. There is no service anyways.”

“Oh but you can fix that with a spell.” Minghao says, looking up. “It’s super simple. Here, give me your phone.”

Jihoon considers him for a second then shrugs, taking out his wand and muttering ‘Accio phone’. He hears the other chuckle at his side – the no-magic-outside-of-classes rule is a poorly-followed one at Hogwarts, and as long as his phone doesn’t break any window, he should be fine.

His phone arrives swiftly and lands perfectly on his hands. When he thrusts it in the direction of the Slytherin student, Minghao starts giggling – honest to god, giggling.

“Ah. Yeah, I see why you barely use it. It’s antique. It’s a flip phone !” He laughs. “That’s amazing.”

“It does the job.” Jihoon answer, rolling his eyes. “Now, will you unblock it ?”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t worry I’ll do it.” Minghao answers, still smiling at the phone in his hand. He stretches his hand towards Jihoon, his own phone in his hand. “Here, take a look. That’s the picture.” 

Jihoon takes the phone between his fingers, and peers at the screen. 

The picture, at first glance, looks almost like an ensemble of abstract lines, a close-up of the swinging branches of the weeping willow taking over most of the frame. The sun reflects on their yellowing leaves, autumnal colours are seeping through the screen. Between the branches swinging from the light wind, though, Jihoon is slowly able to map a silhouette, hunched over a book in its lap. The person – it’s him, Jihoon resonates, he knows it’s him –, though discreet at first in the picture, exudes a focused, quiet but incredibly shiny aura once you get a glimpse of them, that seems to paint the whole picture with golden hues.

Jihoon takes his eyes off the screen to discover Minghao staring at him, nervousness clear on his face.

“It’s hum.” 

Jihoon wets his lips. 

“It’s very good.” 

Minghao grins at him. 

“Isn’t this a Muggle camera, though ?” He continues, giving back the phone, a bit embarrassed. “I thought their pictures didn’t move, or something like that.”

“Ah, yeah.” Minghao nods. “But I enchanted the film so it works just like wizard’s pictures. I have other regular Muggle film, I just like to switch between the two.”

Jihoon just nods noncommittally. He honestly doesn’t know anything about Muggle cameras, or even wizard cameras, to be fair.

“Ah, here’s your phone.” Minghao says, giving back his small black phone. “It’s unlocked so you should be able to send texts and call and … “ He chuckles. “That’s probably all that you can do with that, I guess.”

Jihoon smirks, pocketing the phone in his robes.

“Thanks a lot, anyways. Ah, and,” he adds “you can keep the picture. I like it.”

Minghao just smiles at him. Jihoon smiles back, without even feeling compelled to do so. 

“Anyways, I should get going.” Minghao says, putting away his own phone. “I have Runes class soon.”

He stands up, dusting the back of his pants. He sheds his jacket, carefully placing it in his bag, takes out his robes and passes it instead quickly. He then looks back at Jihoon.

“See you around, uh,” He trails off.

“Jihoon.” Jihoon offers.

Minghao smiles again.

“Well then see you around, Jihoon.”

“Yeah, see you around.” Jihoon answers, and Minghao walks off with a final sign of his hand.

Jihoon watches him, pensive, for a few seconds, before opening back his book to resume his reading.

 

The second time Jihoon meets Minghao, it is at the shore of the lake again, a couple of weeks later. The weather has been exceptionally nice to them – or global warming has, at least –, and though the days are getting fresher, the warmth still remains into the last few days of September. Jihoon’s Potion classes has been canceled, and he has an extra hour to kill before meeting Jeonghan and Joshua for lunch, so he decides to go study outside again. It helps him focus, it seems.

As he approaches the lake, Jihoon recognizes the black jacket with vibrant colours, and Minghao’s black hair coming to curl down on his long neck. He walks up to the Slytherin student, sitting cross-legged at the very edge of the lake. Slow, Jazz music is seeping out from speakers placed next to him. He lets himself sink on the ground at his side.

“Hey.” He says in a quiet voice.

Minghao doesn’t even flinch when he sits down, only smiles at him.

“Hey. No big textbook this time ?” He asks.

Jihoon shrugs and taps his bag on his lap.

“It’s in there.” He answers, and Minghao chuckles. “What are you doing ?”

“Waiting for the giant Squid to come out.” Minghao answers, waving his camera, which is ready to shoot in his hands. 

Jihoon laughs and looks back at the lake, scrutinizing.

“What do you do with all your pictures ?” He asks, curious. “Do you only keep them on your phone or ...”

“I post them on Instagram.” Minghao says, grinning. “Wait, do you know what Instagram is ?” He adds, half-joking.

Jihoon has half the mind to punch him, but his hands are too cold to take them out of his pocket and anyways he doesn’t know Minghao that well, also he thinks that Minghao’s eyes are twinkling so that’s a lot to take in.

“I know what Instagram is, thank you.” He retaliates, his deadpan look softened by the smirk he is sporting. “I don’t live in a cave.”

Minghao’s smile grows wider, and he detaches his eyes from the lake to look at Jihoon.

“Could have fooled me, with your antiquity of a phone.”

Jihoon can’t help but laugh.

“Hey, don’t judge.” He answers. “I was raised the old-fashioned way. My parents almost never use non-magical stuff so they’re not really up-to-date with Muggle technology.”

Minghao hums, his hand raising to thread in his hair.

“Do you have a lot of followers ?” Jihoon asks. “On Instagram, I mean.”

“Well, yeah, actually, nearly thirty thousands.” Minghao answers, proud.

Jihoon blinks.

“Okay. I have no idea if that’s a lot or not, but I take you word.”

Minghao giggles – these giggles again !

“Well, that’s a pretty fair amount. What I like is that there are both Muggles and wizards amongst my followers.”

“Really ?” Jihoon says, surprised. “But how does that work ? Do you only post pictures of things Muggles can see, or ...”

“No, I also post magical stuff, sometimes, with the Jinxtagram plug-in.” Minghao answers.

Jihoon has no idea what’s Jinxtagram or what’s a plug-in. He hums.

“So I guess that Muggles don’t see the magical stuff, or people moving.” Minghao continues. “But they like it all the same, and I like the idea that my photography is bringing people together, even if they’re living different realities.”

Jihoon finds himself speechless at that, and glances at Minghao. The student is smiling softly, his eyes riveted on the lake. His nose is starting to get red from the freshness of the air, and hi hands are holding the camera with purpose. The sun is twinkling on the undisturbed surface of the water, the crackling voice of the Jazz singer permeates the late morning air, and Jihoon’s skin is tingling with contentment.

“Doesn’t look like she wants to show her tentacles today.” Jihoon observes after a few minutes of silence.

Minghao sighs.

“Yeah. I’ve been there for the most part of the last three days but I haven’t gotten a glimpse of her.”

Jihoon laughs.

“Don’t you have classes ?” He asks Minghao, raising an eyebrow. 

“Not really.” Minghao shrugs. “I didn’t take that many electives and I dropped most of the big subjects so I have much more free time than last year.”

Jihoon frowns, picking up threads of grass from a patch near him.

“And the professors let you ? What kind of career doesn’t need you to take all those classes ?” 

Minghao smiles slightly, squinting at the lake then quickly snapping a shot. When Jihoon looks up, he sees two Grindylows hovering at the surface of the lake.

“Muggle university.” Minghao answers, looking satisfied with himself.

Jihoon chokes a bit.

“Mug- what ?” He asks, looking back at Minghao with wide eyes. “What do you mean ?”

“I want to go to a photography school.”Minghao answers naturally. “I could work as a professional photographer, maybe. That’d be cool. Or study something else after that, I don’t know.”

Jihoon stares at him.

“But – but, you’re not planning on working in the Wizard’s world ?”

Minghao looks back at him, smiling gently.

“I don’t know, maybe. I’ll see, I guess. I still have time to choose, anyways.”

Jihoon doesn’t answer, dumbfounded. 

He’s never had this kind of conversation with someone. He’s been told all his life that his choices in Sixth and Seventh year were going to be crucial for his future, he’s been asked since he was twelve which career he was going to choose, he’s discussed extensively with his own friends about who was going to try to work in the Ministry, who was going to work in magical diplomacy or Quidditch departments, which electives were the best to keep to have the best opportunities. 

No one – not Hogwarts, not his parents, his friends, or anyone else – had once suggested something other that a magical career was an option, or even that he could simply wait to choose. 

Minghao doesn’t add anything, and Jihoon stays quiet, eyes on the shore, where the two Grindylows have started to play in the water. 

After a few minutes of silence, Jihoon’s brain reminds him about that Divination essay due for the end of the week. A familiar feeling of stress passes through his ribcage, and he fishes his textbook from his bag. He thinks he hears Minghao chuckle, but pays him no mind.

With the music softly playing to his ears, Minghao’s quiet presence and the occasional shutter noise of his camera next to him, he manages to map the entire outline of his essay in less than an hour this morning.

 

The chatter of the mob of students leaving for the Quidditch Pitch around Jihoon is so deafening, he barely hears Seungkwan’s story about how Chan, a Fourth Year, got kicked out from a Sixth Year-level DADA class he tried to sneak in. Everyone is wrapped into large scarves as autumn has officially arrived, with its icy wind and intermittent rain. Seungkwan, Seokmin, Jeonghan and he are slowly waddling their way to the first match of the Quidditch season, keeping close. 

Right before he enters the pitch, as they are laughing at Seungkwan’s imitation of Chan’s sheepish face when he got caught, Jihoon catches from the corner of his eyes the now familiar, lanky silhouette of Minghao. 

The boy is wrapped in his ever-lasting black jacket and his Slytherin scarf. Minghao is standing not far from their group, right next to that Muggleborn kid who skates to class and for whom Seungkwan has a clear infatuation – Hansol, Jihoon thinks. Minghao and he seems to be waiting for someone. 

Minghao turns his head towards Jihoon, and Jihoon waves when the Fifth-year spots him with a pleased face. Minghao answers enthusiastically as Jihoon starts walking up to him.

“You’ve decided to be a traitor your House ?” Jihoon asks when he’s joined Minghao and his friend a bit further from the flow of students.

He gestures to the obnoxious Gryffindor pin Minghao is sporting on his jacket. Minghao grins. Hansol doesn’t look like he’s really paying attention to their conversation, earphones planted in his ears.

“Yeah, I prefer Gryff’s team, actually.” Minghao answers, amused. “They’re more skilled, and I like their teamwork. Slytherin’s team is okay but they lack cohesion.”

He gives Jihoon a small smile, his eyes gleaming.

“I’m not really into traditional House rivalries, to be honest.”

Jihoon hums. Minghao really is something else.

“You’re not supporting anyone ?” Minghao asks, eyeing Jihoon’s plain Ravenclaw outfit.

“No, I just came to watch the game.” Jihoon shrugs. “I really enjoy Quidditch, actually.”

Minghao grins back.

“Yeah, me too.” He agrees, then adds, opening his jacket slightly. “I came prepared.”

Dangling from his neck is yet another camera, a recent model this time. Jihoon chuckles. 

Of course.

“I should get going,” Jihoon says, looking back at his friends waiting for him at the entrance of the pit. “See you later, enjoy the game.”

“I will.” Minghao answers, waving again.

Jihoon waves back before returning to the group. When he gets there, he is met with the quizzical looks of Seokmin and Jeonghan – Seungkwan tries too but he keeps glancing at Hansol.

“I didn’t know you knew Minghao.” Jeonghan starts with a pointed tone, as they make their way towards the seats.

Jihoon shrugs, embarrassed. He knows it is surprising for him to make new friends, especially so late in his school course; Seventh Year being that point when you feel like you just know everyone and their mother by then.

“How do you know him ?” He asks Jeonghan instead, taking a seat in the middle of a row, students milling around in the effervescence of the Quidditch game.

“He asked me if he could take a picture of me in the common room once.” Jeonghan answers, eyes already on the players – most probably, on Joshua, playing Chaser for the Gryffindor team.

Jihoon snorts. Yeah, that sounds about right.

“He seems like a pretty interesting guy.” Jeonghan adds after a few beats of silence, and Jihoon sees him glancing his way.

And Jihoon knows what’s behind that, he can see the quiet joy inside Jeonghan at the perspective of him, Jihoon, notorious not-a-people-person kind of guy, with his very narrow circle of friends, meeting new people, making new acquaintances, maybe even good friends. Jihoon is not unfriendly, really, he’s just … yeah.

“Yeah.” Jihoon answers after a beat, his eyes on the pit. “He’s pretty interesting.” 

 

Somehow, without Jihoon really noticing, he and Minghao start to bump into each other all the time, and along the way Minghao ends up knowing more about him than most of his friends. 

They meet in the library one day, by chance, and start to study together. That day, Jihoon confesses he kept Potions only because it was one of the core classes, but that he’s not really fond of cooking after all. Minghao giggles when Jihoon groans after reading particularly complicated potion instructions, and another Seventh Year next to them shushes them.

Jihoon, another day, meets Minghao in a corridor. Minghao is walking to class with another Sixth Year from Hufflepuff that Minghao introduces as Mingyu. Minghao explains that they met when Mingyu tripped on him on their first day of school, and Mingyu whines at him and pouts as Jihoon laughs.

Jihoon ends up telling them both about Jeonghan, his childhood friend who never seems to care but actually cares a lot. He goes on and talks about their little group of five who met at Choir, boisterous and immature, and Jihoon can feel the fondness seeping through his own words. That makes him blush, self-conscious. Minghao doesn’t tease him, only asks about choir, and about his hometown – “a regular wizard’s town”, Jihoon answers with a shrug.

They exchange numbers, at some point (“Now that you have access to decent means of communication”, Minghao says, and Jihoon rolls his eyes). 

Minghao takes the habit of sending Jihoon the pictures he took that he likes the most. He teaches him a spell Jihoon can use to project them from his tiny screen to any plane surface near him.

From pictures, they go on to talking about Minghao’s homesickness and about his home country, China, then about Jihoon’s reluctant confession about how strict his parents were when he was younger and the pressure he feels constantly, being in Ravenclaw, having to be better, all the time.

 

They bump in the Owlery, too, once, just as Jihoon is done sending a letter to his parents, around the end of October. 

Jihoon is humming to himself, happy at the prospect of the weekend beginning, excited for Halloween coming up. He hears someone entering the room as he sends his owl, Stegos, through the window.

“Oh hey.”

He turns, and there is Minghao, a letter in his hands, wearing Muggle clothes – fashionable ones, if Jihoon’s judgment is anything to go by – and his large Slytherin scarf.

“Hi.”

Jihoon smiles at him, then finds himself standing there, awkward. He can’t think of anything to say that is not painstakingly obvious like “Here to send a letter ?”, but also gets nervous over the fact that if he doesn’t say anything and just leaves, Minghao would probably find him rude. Godric’s beard he wishes he would stop getting awkward at those things.

Minghao is trying to coerce one of the school owls into flying down to him, and saves him by breaking the silence.

“Don’t mind me, you can continue singing, by the way.”

Jihoon feels his ears redden.

“Ah, hum, I’d rather not, that was … I don’t really sing in front of people.” He mumbles.

Minghao turns towards him.

“But aren’t you in the school choir ?”

“Yeah, but that’s different. I’m part of the sopranos and it’s mostly harmonies and back-up vocals.” He explains. “I don’t get solos like Seungkwan or Ariana. I’m not really a big deal.”

He winces, aware of how self-depreciating he sounds. He’s not minimizing anything about him, to be fair, he’s just … really not a big deal.

“I think you’re a big deal.” Minghao answers, nonchalant.

He has managed to bring down the owl and is now tying the letter to its leg. Jihoon wonders for a second why Minghao would use such an old and non-modern way of communicating, then resonates – he probably likes that it’s vintage.

“You have a pretty voice.” Minghao adds. “And a good sense of rhythm and of music in general. I remember you humming melodies of songs I made you listened only once.”

Jihoon shrugs.

“I had music theory and clarinet classes when I was a kid. I had to drop it when I started to go to Hogwarts but I guess that stuck with me.”

Minghao hums, walking to the window to see his bird off.

“Do you miss it ?” Minghao then asks, his elbow resting on the frame of the window.

“What ?”

“Making music.”

“I don’t know.” Jihoon answers, thoughtful. “I never really thought about it. It was something I enjoyed, yeah, but it was … It was never meant to stick after I started to study, anyways.”

He gazes at Minghao looking out the windows and adds, after a few beats:

“I guess it was how my parents envisioned it, and I never really questioned it. Choir is a way to keep that part of me here, in a way.”

Minghao hums. Jihoon has no idea why he is saying all that – most of it, he never really thought about before Minghao asked him.

 

They never really talk about music again. A month later, though, on the day of his birthday, there is a dark, wooden ukulele standing proudly amongst Jihoon’s other presents, with a note attached to it : 

“I thought it would match your voice well. Enjoy learning and making music again. Happy birthday – Minghao”


End file.
